1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to micro-optical components and, more particularly, to a method for producing monolithic micro-optical components using standard semiconductor fabrication techniques.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Compact and simple lens systems for micro-optical devices are essential in optical communication systems. Generally, an optical communication system is comprised of independently fabricated micro-optical components that are attached to microbenches. Present optical systems use a variety of techniques for fabricating micro-optical components and for obtaining efficient coupling between micro-optical components and other micro-optical devices. For instance, these optical systems might be manually assembled from very small parts by persons using tweezers and a microscope. Although this manual approach may be feasible for limited quantities of systems, difficulty remains in achieving high output production. On the other hand, current automated assembly techniques fail to achieve the precision alignment and quality needed for most microcomponent systems.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a monolithic micro-optical system for use in various optical communication applications. Since there are less individual components to align, the complexity of the assembly process will be decreased. Some assembly steps are entirely eliminated with the formation of a monolithic structure. This reduction in assembly complexity improves alignment accuracy, increases reliability and decreases assembly costs for a micro-optical system. The present invention solves these problems by using standard semiconductor fabrication techniques to manufacture a monolithic micro-optical system.